Numeric/voice name Internet access architecture and methodology

ABSTRACT

A system that provides users of both fixed and wireless Internet devices, a method of entering numbers instead of the text characters of Internet Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) and other Internet identifiers to access Internet resources and functions, such as Web sites, e-mail services, individual documents or files, location services, etc. When the user enters a WebNum, the digits of the WebNum are sent to a database on a system that is accessible over the Internet. The database maps the WebNum back to a Uniform Resource Locator (URL), which contains a hostname in the Internet domain name structure. This would subsequently be resolved through the Internet Domain Name System (DNS) to an IP address to identify the IP address of the Web site. The cell phone provider or WID network provider would then retrieve the home page of the Web site over the Internet, to return content to the cell phone or WID display.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present invention is based on U.S. Provisional Patent ApplicationsNo. 60/225,647 filed Aug. 16, 2000, No. 60/231,576 filed Sep. 11, 2000,and No. 60/256,325 filed Dec. 19, 2000, and claims the benefit thereof.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a system (hereinafter referred toas “the WebNum system”), that gives users of both fixed and wirelessInternet devices, a method of entering numbers instead of the textcharacters of Internet Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) and otherInternet identifiers to access Internet resources and functions, such asWeb sites, e-mail services, individual documents or files, locationservices, etc.

Recently, wireless devices such as cell phones and PDAs have beendeveloped with capabilities to access the Internet. Accessing a websitevia a wireless device has typically been done by the user entering textcharacters to spell out the Internet URL. Since a phone keypad usesmultiple letters for each numeric key, and since most cell phonesrequire the user to change the mode of operation to enter lettersinstead of numbers, this can be a cumbersome task with a cell phone.

Some wireless devices allow users to assign graphical icons, voicecommands, and/or abbreviated names to a limited number of frequentlyvisited web sites, so that users do not have to enter the entire webaddress for those sites. The storage and resolution of these‘short-cuts,’ however, is conducted within the wireless device and istherefore limited and non-uniform for multiple users. Thus, when a useruses a different wireless device, the user cannot necessarily use thesame shortcuts that he/she has already memorized. Furthermore, thisapproach to short-cuts does nothing for the user who wants to access anew website for the first time.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a systemto allow users to more easily access the Internet from a wirelessdevice.

In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, the WebNumsystem specifies a Private Numbering System that allows users to reachInternet Web sites by entering numbers instead of text Web URLs and hostnames on cellular telephones and other wireless Internet devices (WID).The Private Numbering System is a unique system of using numericaldigits, including specially-designated numeric combinations, standardtelephone numbers, and international telephone numbers, that directsWeb-enabled cell phones and WIDs to Internet Web sites and otherInternet resources. A special WebNum database maps each WebNum back toan Internet URL, and interprets the WebNum as a pointer to an Internetresource.

When the user enters a WebNum, the digits of the WebNum are sent to aspecial database on a system that is accessible over the Internet. Thedatabase maps the WebNum back to a Uniform Resource Locator (URL), whichcontains a hostname in the Internet domain name structure. For example,the WebNum 877, entered by a user on a cell phone or WID, may map in thedatabase to an Internet URL, such as http://www.xyz.com. This wouldsubsequently be resolved through the Internet Domain Name System (DNS)to an IP address to identify the IP address of the Web site.

The cell phone provider or WID network provider would then retrieve thehome page of the Web site over the Internet, to return content to thecell phone or WID display. In most cases, the content of the Web sitewill have been specially formatted for display on the cell phone or WIDdisplay, but such reformatting is not necessary to implement theinvention. A number of cell phone and WID Web browsers and markuplanguages can be used, and their operation and characteristics arebeyond the scope of the invention.

It is therefore another object of the invention to provide a system thatallows expansion of new numbering systems and concepts that may be usedin a WebNum system. For example, two of the extensions described hereinallow a company or organization that has established an association witha specific WebNum to build other WebNum shortcuts from that single“root” WebNum. The third extension includes data variables in WebNumstrings, so that a user may enter a WebNum and additional data variablesin one step, in order to bypass a series of prompts for additional data.These extensions include Extended WebNum shortcuts, Country Code WebNumshortcuts (ccWebNum), and Power WebNum shortcuts.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing aspects of one embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing additional aspects of a embodiment of thepresent invention, including the use of additional APIs.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing aspects of one embodiment of the presentinvention, including the use of an alternate database “root” server.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing a typical use of the present invention toaccess a website.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, theWebNum Private Numbering System provides a format for an examplenumbering plan, the significance of digits, numeric fields, and specialnumeric sequences in the numbering plan, and the system ofInternet-accessible databases that interpret WebNum shortcuts.

Numeric Names

In a preferred embodiment, WebNum shortcuts are implemented as stringsof digits, referred to as Numeric Names, that point Internet-enabledcell phones and WIDs to Internet sites. Numeric Names are preferablyfrom one to sixteen digits in length, and may be any combination ofdigits that is unique within the WebNum system.

Numeric Names may be local or national telephone numbers, or E.164telephone numbers that include a country code prefix. For example, abusiness with the telephone number of (212) 123-4567 may register theWebNum 2121234567, or the E.164 version of that number (prefixed bycountry code digits), which is 12121234567. In either case, the WebNumdatabase maps the WebNum to an Internet resource, which is usually anInternet URL, such as:

12121234567=www.asdfg.com

Numeric Names are not limited to E.164 format phone numbers. NumericNames may also be short numbers, usually from one to seven digits inlength, that map to a string of alpha characters on the numeric keys ofa standard telephone keypad. These might be an alpha equivalent name,such as the WebNum 877 for UPS™, where the numbers assigned alsorepresent the alpha values on a standard telephone keypad as:

0=No Alpha equivalent

1=No Alpha equivalent

2=ABC

3=DEF

4=GHI

5=JKL

6=MNO

7=PQRS

8=TUV

9=WXYZ

International language and keyboards mapping arrangements can also beaccommodated using the WebNum approach. For example, in Asia, somephones have “RQ” under the 1 key. These and other variations such asusing Chinese or other characters are within the scope of thisinvention.

WebNum System Operation

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 4, a WebNum entered on a cell phone or WID1 is sent from the device to the WebNum Resolution application 5(S1-S2), which preferably runs on a server located at the wirelessservice provider's gateway 3, or elsewhere on the Internet 4. The WebNumResolution application 5 accesses either tables or a database 6 toresolve the number to an Internet URL or other identifier (S3). Thetranslation tables and databases 6 can be local to the WebNum Resolutionapplication 5, or accessed from a remote location.

In a preferred embodiment, the browser/cell phone 1 is aware that thenumber entered is a WebNum, because of how and where it was entered inthe context of the cell phone's Web browser, display menus, and functionbuttons. The wireless system knows the identity of the cell phone thatoriginated the transaction. The WebNum system will convert the WebNum toan Internet URL or identifier, which will point the cell phone 1 to thatresource (S5-S6).

The WebNum is sent to the WebNum database server 6 at the wirelesscarrier or on the Internet, which maps the WebNum back to an InternetURL 7. For example, the WebNum 877 may map in the database to the URLwww.ups.com, as:

877=www.ups.com

The WebNum may also be mapped to a URL for wireless Web-enabled content,as:

877=wap://wap.ups.com

In this example, the Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) is used as anexample of a protocol for wireless Internet-enabled content, but theWebNum system can support other wireless display protocols, such asCompact HTML (C-HTML), i-mode, or other protocols.

If there is no match in the local WebNum database 6, the WebNum isreferred back to a central master database of all WebNum shortcuts 17(FIG. 3). If a match is found there, the response is sent back to theWebNum Resolution application 5, where an access is made to retrieve thesite using standard DNS procedures.

The fully-formed URL points to a Web site on the Internet 4, but the URLmust be translated to the IP address of an Internet Web site throughtraditional Domain Name Service (DNS) lookup mechanisms. When thewireless switch receives the IP address resolved from its DNS resolutionrequest, the switch creates an IP datagram, using the protocol specifiedin the URL, and passes the IP datagram to an Internet Service provider(ISP) for delivery on the Internet, as illustrated in FIG. 1.

In this example, the response that comes back from the Internet Web site7 will be the wireless Internet-enabled Web home page, or, to use WAPterminology, the WAP “card”. The card will be passed from the switchback to the user's cell phone display.

In this preferred embodiment, the WebNum system can hide the entireprocess of translating the WebNum to a URL, then resolving the IPaddress, then retrieving the data for the wireless Internet home page.Instead of dealing with the complexity of entering a text string on anumeric keypad, or selecting from a limited list of cell phoneprovider-approved Web sites, the user can go to thousands of differentwireless Internet-enabled sites by pressing a few numbers on the cellphone key pad.

Increased Usability

WebNum shortcuts allow users to access Web sites supporting ofwireless-enabled Web sites quickly and easily by using a simple number,such as a phone number, to access to the site. The number can be dialedon the number pad of any wireless phone, transferred from the phone'sinternal phonebook, entered on a wireless handheld device, or enteredusing a speech recognition function on a phone or other wireless device.The number is translated to an Internet URL through a database at thewireless service provider's gateway applications server, or at anapplication server located elsewhere on the Internet 4. The URL isresolved through traditional Internet DNS lookup and name resolutionmechanisms. The home page or card of the wireless-device enabled Website is then returned to the user's phone or wireless device 1.

Without changing the use of the simple numeric or voice references(WebNum), this system can be expanded to access other informationdirectly from a cell phone or wireless device 1, instead of from a Website. For example, it could be used to send and receive e-mail, getlocation information and directions, identify recipients of e-mailmessages, or establish Voice over Internet communications. It could alsobe a user interface to an ENUM system that links E.164 telephone numbersto IP addresses, e-mail addresses, web sites, and other informationservices.

The subscriber can also pick a short “Voice Name” that represents commontranslations of a word or name that would be spoken to a wireless device1. Examples would include words like “Etrade™”, “United™” and “Amazon™.”These Voice Names will also be resolved into the appropriate URL, or toanother Internet locator address, as shown in FIG. 2.

For example, the WebNum system could map an E.164 phone number,16505063397, to http://www.oraclemobile.com. A numeric equivalent to thetelephone keys that correspond to “ORACLE™” (672253) might also map tohttp://www.oraclemobile.com. Finally, the spoken words “Oracle Mobile”might also map to http://www.oraclemobile.com.

Databases

These relationships can be contained within one or more databases thatcan be local to a wireless provider's gateway 3, in a corporation's ownwireless applications server, or in a database operated by a third partyon an Internet server.

As with regular internet addresses, WebNum shortcuts could be thesubject of a central registration process to ensure that each WebNum isunique. This approach is preferred, however, not necessary to practicethe invention.

For instance, it is possible to have different WebNum service providers,each with a different access process. So for example, the WebNum 626might be mapped by one service provider to www.XYZ.com, while anotherservice provider maps it to www.ABC.com. In such a scenario, the userwould have to know which WebNum provider he/she is using and thespecific WebNum relationship within that provider.

Multiple Relationships

The WebNum system supports many-to-one relationships, in which multipleNumeric/Voice Names can be linked to a single URL, e-mail address, orother Internet resource or service. The WebNum system will also supportone-to-many relationships, where a single URL can be accessed frommultiple Numeric Names, alpha equivalent names, and voice names.

For example, a single URL, such as http://www.oraclemobile.com, could beaccessed by entering a phone number (16505063397), a short alphaequivalent (672253). This URL or any other Internet resource might alsobe accessible either from a speech-to-text or speech recognition system.

Transport Protocol Independence

WebNum shortcuts can simplify the identification and support issuesassociated with multiple protocols. As new and enhanced wireless accessand transport protocols are introduced, a new level of complexity isintroduced. In order to return data to a device in the proper format,Web sites must identify the access or transport protocol of the devicerequesting service. This is very difficult to accomplish given thecurrent solutions available.

In a preferred embodiment, the WebNum system assumes the role ofidentifying the transport protocols, e.g. WTP (Wireless TransportProtocol) or HTTP (HyperText Transport Protocol) required, and addressesthe sending site in a manner that assures that the site gets the data inthe correct protocol. This sender notification can be accomplished bytargeting addresses based on transport protocol, or by providinginterpreting instructions along with the access request being presented.

Hierarchical Data Look-up

As shown in FIG. 3, should the number (Numeric/Voice Name) that the userrequests, be untranslatable to an accessible site, the WebNum Resolutionapplication 5 can call on an alternate database 17 that acts as the“root server.” When a Numeric/Voice Name is not found in the “local”database 6, the WebNum Resolution application 5 will formulate aninquiry, and attempt to locate the desired data in a WebNum “root”database 17.

Note that in this embodiment, the “root” database 17 is not the “./”root defined in the DNS structure. It is referred to as a “root”database only to indicate the type of functionality available from thisdatabase.

If no record is found that provides the user with the service or addressrequested, an appropriate “not found” message can be returned to therequesting device.

Extensions The WebNum concept can be extended to other types ofapplications, and other types of interfaces, while leaving theunderlying WebNum technology, concepts, and ideas intact. For example,as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, APIs 8-12 could interface upon request withthe appropriate database 13-16, to return e-mail addresses, geographiclocation information, or a number of other identifiers to the cell phoneor WID user 1.

Email WebNum Access

The WebNum concept could be extended to send an e-mail, by having thelookup in the WebNum database return an e-mail address mapped to theWebNum. Either one or a number of e-mail addresses could be returned asa result of the lookup of the WebNum in the database. The number ofemail addresses returned would depend on what has been configured in theWebNum database to map back to the WebNum. The e-mail addresses would bedisplayed on the cell phone or WID 1 in the To:, CC:, or BCC: fields asappropriate. The user could then pick which one he wanted to use, andthe cell phone would use the WebNum-mapped e-mail address as the addressfor the e-mail message.

Geographical Location

The WebNum concept could be extended to provide cell phone users withgeographic location information, driving directions, and other locationinformation. This capability would use the same type of WebNumidentifier to access the system through a cell phone or WID, butgeographic information would be returned instead of a Web site.

This type of capability is most useful with a new generation of cellphone hardware that incorporates position-sensing hardware, as mandatedby the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for use in locating cellphone users for 911 services. This capability would be used inconjunction with WebNum shortcuts to provide location sensing anddirectional information to cell phone users.

For example, a cell phone user in his car might select a WebNum menuoption for “Directions”, then enter on the cell phone keypad the phonenumber of the office or location he is trying to find. The phone numberwould go to the cell phone provider's switch, which would translate thephone number to a hostname, then to an address, which would then bereferred back to a GeoLocation (GeoLoc) database 15. The GeoLocpositioning information would be sent back to the switch, and displayed,or a voice processor would “speak” driving directions back to the driverthrough the phone to direct him to the office or location.

Voice Input to WebNum Shortcuts

While the WebNum system is primarily a number-to-Internet resourcemapping system, it can also be accessed by using voice commands. WebNumshortcuts support both numeric and voice access to these resourcesthrough a set of databases that map either a number, Numeric Name, or aVoice Name to (referred to as Numeric/Voice Name(s)) to URLs, e-mailaddresses, location information, security capabilities (e.g., PKIcertificates), fax machines, and/or Uniform resource Identifiers (URIs).These databases may also contain short text names that map spoken namesthat are generated either by voice-to-text or speech recognitionsystems.

The WebNum system could thus be enhanced to eliminate the requirementfor the user to press buttons to enter a WebNum. Instead, the user couldspeak the number or name of the company whose wireless Internet Web sitehe was trying to access, or its WebNum, into the phone. A voicerecognition application would parse the speech, and create the numericor name WebNum, and pass that information back to the WebNum database.The Voice WebNum would be processed as a standard WebNum databaseinquiry, resolved to an Internet wireless Web site IP address, and thecontent passed back to the user's cell phone display 1.

ENUMs

The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) has proposed a system ofuniversal identifiers, based on standard telephone numbers, which couldbe tied back to a number of other identifiers, such as Web sites, e-mailaddresses, phone numbers, fax numbers, etc. through DNS addressresolution. The current ENUM proposal is to use E.164 phone numbers,which are multiple digit (usually ten-digit) numbers, plus a countrycode designator.

If such a system is implemented, an ENUM could be used as a WebNum,which would be interpreted by the back-end switch database, and resolvedto IP addresses and other identifiers through traditional DNS addressresolution procedures. The cell phone provider could then createInternet requests for Web sites, e-mail systems, and other information,based on the ENUM identifiers resolved by the inquiry.

The short, numerical WebNum identifier could also be translated to anENUM, leaving intact the original technology, concepts, and ideas ofWebNum shortcuts. For example, the service provider, or the provider ofthe WebNum database, could expand the WebNum entered from a cell phoneinto an equivalent E.164 number, which could then be processed as if ithad been entered as a complete ENUM. This would require that there be aseparate country code assigned either to the service provider or to thedatabase provider, so that a WebNum could be expanded to afully-qualified, universally recognized E.164 number, before resolutionto a Web site address or other identifier.

Virtual Private Networks

WebNum shortcuts can also be used create a Virtual Private Network(VPN), by coupling the Numeric Name with a separator character (i.e. *or #) followed by an additional numeric field that can be used tofurther qualify selection.

The Numeric Name field will be used to specify the domain that will beaccessed. Typically, this will be a second-level domain name, but itcould be a URL or data source location address.

EXAMPLE

nnnn#123456

-   -   123456 Record identifier that can be used as a 3^(rd) level        domain or other means to specify the information or service to        be provided    -   # Separator    -   nnnn Identifies the 2^(nd) level Domain, URL or data source        locator.        -   The qualifier can be used to specify the data to be returned            or the service to be provided. Some examples include: as a            third level domain name, an internal phone number, to            identify individual pages, records, or files that are to be            returned to the wireless device,            Secure Virtual Private Networks

In accordance with another aspect of a preferred embodiment, WebNumshortcuts can be used to create a Secure Virtual Private Network (SVPN)by incorporating support for a PKI certificate. This will allowindividual users to be authenticated and the transmissions to beencrypted.

API (Applications Program Interface)

In accordance with another aspect of a preferred embodiment, the WebNumsystem can contain a series of standard APIs that can allow customprogram development that incorporates and extends the WebNum concept toadditional applications and customer specific environments.

Private Numbering Plan

WebNum shortcuts may take several different forms. However, the cellphone or WID system, and the database that maps WebNum shortcuts toInternet URLs, should preferably treat each of the different forms inthe same way. In a preferred embodiment, the general form of a WebNumis:

WebNum <Escape sequence> <WebNum extension> <Send>

In this embodiment, the meaning of these fields is:

-   -   * WebNum—These are the digits of the base or “root” WebNum.    -   Escape sequence—Escape characters, such as the star key (*) or        the pound (#) key, may also be included in the WebNum as an        escape sequence. The escape characters are optional, but if        used, they indicate the start of different fields within the        WebNum. The additional fields are interpreted by the WebNum        database resolver.    -   Send—The cell phone or WID Send button, which may be designated        the Talk, Go, or other button, indicates the end of the WebNum        sequence.        The generalized processing sequence performed by the cell phone        system is:    -   The WebNum in its entirety, except for the terminating <Send>        command, is identified as a string to be sent back to the        Internet URL of the WebNum database.    -   The Send key indicates that whatever key sequence was entered        should be sent the WebNum database 5 for resolution.

The database may interpret the parts of the WebNum differently,depending on how many digits of the number have been entered, and thelocation, type, and number of escape characters that have been includedin the WebNum sequence. The generalized processing sequence performed bythe WebNum database 6 is:

-   -   The WebNum is mapped to its pre-defined URL entry in the WebNum        database 6.    -   If present, the escape sequence indicates a WebNum extension.    -   The WebNum extension is an additional numeric sequence that is        also mapped to an Internet URL in the database.        WebNum Numbers

In a preferred embodiment as discussed above, the basic WebNum is astring of digits from one to 16 digits in length, that does not includeany extensions or escape sequences. WebNum shortcuts may be E.164telephone numbers, which are numbers from eight to 12 digits long, orthey may be strings of digits from one to seven digits in length.

One type of WebNum is an E.164 number, which in the United States is aeleven-digit phone number of the form <1> <area code> <exchange><extension>, such as 1-212-123-4567. The E.164 numbering plan is astandard for international public telephone numbering that has beenestablished by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). In thisexample, 1 is the country code for the United States. A U.S. E.164number may be entered as a WebNum as an eleven digit number, as:

1 212 123 4567 <Send>

As with any other WebNum, the numeric characters in the WebNum fieldwould be sent to the WebNum database, to be resolved to the text of anInternet host, then converted to an Internet URL, and then resolved toan IP address through Internet DNS name resolution.

WebNum shortcuts may also be telephone numbers that are not preceded bycountry codes. In the example above, the phone number 212-123-4567 couldalso be registered as WebNum 2121234567.

Global Numeric Names

Short numeric strings may also be registered as WebNum shortcuts. Theyare referred to as Global Numeric Names or Global Logo Numbers, althoughthere is not necessarily any correspondence between the standard letterpattern on telephone keys and the words or phrases that the numbers of aWebNum “spell”.

For example, say that the XYZ Corporation registers the WebNum 626, andmaps it to the URL of the company's Web site. The mapping in the WebNumresolution database would be:

626=http://www.xyz.com

Any user who entered the WebNum of 626 would be taken to the www.xyz.comWeb site, after it was resolved to the appropriate IP address through astandard Internet DNS lookup by the cell system or WID network provider.

WebNum Extensions

In another aspect of a preferred embodiment, the interpretation of aone-to-16 digit WebNum may be modified by adding an escape sequence andadditional digits to the base WebNum, to create Extended WebNumshortcuts.

Extended WebNum shortcuts

Extended WebNum shortcuts extend a basic WebNum with additional digits,while still retaining the significance of the basic WebNum. In apreferred embodiment, an Extended WebNum consists of a base, or “root”WebNum, followed by an escape character, and one to 16 additionaldigits. Extended WebNum shortcuts according to one embodiment are of theform:

WebNum <escape character> <additional digits>

The purpose of Extended WebNum shortcuts is to allow the registrant of aWebNum to add additional WebNum shortcuts that are based on that sameroot WebNum. The alternative for a registrant who wants several WebNumshortcuts is to use different and potentially unrelated WebNumshortcuts.

For example, say the XYZ Company has registered the Global Numeric Nameof 626 as its WebNum. The 626 WebNum is short and easy to remember, butit only points to one Web site, or to one part of a Web site. Thecompany would like to use additional WebNum shortcuts, but easilyassociated WebNum shortcuts, such as 6261, 6262, 6263, and so on, maynot be available.

Extended WebNum shortcuts solve this problem by extending the 626 “root”WebNum. For example, the root WebNum may be extended if a user at a cellphone or WID keypad enters the root WebNum, an escape character (#), andadditional digits designated by the registrant. Each “extended” WebNummust have previously been registered in the WebNum resolution database,and mapped to a Web site.

For example, the root WebNum and a number of Extended WebNum shortcutsmay be listed in the WebNum database as:

626=http://www.xyz.com

626#1=http://www.xyz.com/sales

626#2=http://www.xyz.com/admin

626#3=http://www.xyz.com/customerservice

626#4=http:/www.abcdef.com

Note that there is no requirement that Extended WebNum shortcuts map toWeb sites to which the other Extended WebNum shortcuts in the sameseries map. The mapping of all WebNum shortcuts is determined by theWebNum registrant.

The cell phone or WID network provider handles an Extended WebNum justlike any other WebNum. The entire string is sent to the WebNumresolution database, where it is resolved to an Internet URL. The URL isresolved to an IP address through DNS lookup by the network provider,and the content of the site returned to the screen of the cell phone orWID.

The Extended WebNum system according to this embodiment does not limitthe number of digits that may follow an escape character embedded in theWebNum field. Furthermore, there is no limit in this embodiment to thenumber of escape characters that may appear in an Extended WebNum. Eachescape character would be interpreted as a delimiter for an additionalqualifying field, as:

626#1#2=http://www.xyz.com/sales/pricing

There is no technical restriction in this embodiment on the number ofdigits in a WebNum or its length. The length of a standard or ExtendedWebNum is only restricted by the user's ability to remember and entercorrectly all of the digits and escape characters of a WebNum.

Country Code WebNum Shortcuts

Country Code WebNum shortcuts (ccWebNum), also known as Local LogoNumbers, are variations of Global Numeric Names. In a preferredembodiment, ccWebNum shortcuts are short numeric strings that begin witha 0 (zero). These ccWebNum shortcuts are converted (extended) within theWebNum Resolution application to include the telephone country code orsome other unique identifier to indicate the country of origin. Thisallows each country to have a unique set of WebNum shortcuts. ccWebNumshortcuts are Extended WebNum shortcuts, in that they extend the numberof available WebNum shortcuts for special purposes. They may also beused to create WebNum shortcuts that are relevant to users whose Webuser population mostly resides in a single country. ccWebNum shortcutsalso may appeal to users whose Web sites users are primarily in aspecific country, who want to give a country-specific indicator to aWebNum, or to WebNum registrants who find that a WebNum that they wantis not available. By expanding the WebNum space, ccWebNum shortcutsincrease the potential usage of the WebNum system.

In this embodiment, ccWebNum shortcuts use an initial numeric sequence,which is part of the ccWebNum, to indicate a country-specific WebNum,followed by a separator character, and then a WebNum. The entire numericand special key separator string becomes the whole ccWebNum, and pointsto a specific URL.

In this embodiment, the URL referred to by a ccWebNum may point to a Website in any domain, not just an Internet country code domaincorresponding to the numeric country code. There is not necessarily anycorrespondence between a ccWebNum and Internet country code domainnames, such as the .us, .jp, or .se country code domain names. ccWebNumshortcuts may point to a Web site URL in any domain.

cc WebNum Components and Resolution

For example, in a preferred embodiment, the initial ccWebNum sequence isa three-digit sequence which is either 001 or 011, followed by thetelephone country code, which is referred to as the “ccRoot”. Thosedigits are followed by a separator character (#), then a ccWebNum offrom one to 16 digits. When the ccWebNum string is resolved in theWebNum Resolution database, it will point to a specific Web site, justlike any other WebNum.

In this embodiment, ccWebNum shortcuts use the standard ITU telephonecountry codes to indicate the ccWebNum numbering space in which theWebNum resides. For example, in the ITU scheme, the United States'country code is 1, that of Brazil is 55, and that of Hong Kong is 852.ITU country codes may be one, two, or three digits long. The ITU countrycode numbering scheme also includes extra digits for certain city codeswithin some countries. The ccWebNum system according to this embodimentuses only the country codes, and not city codes.

For example, take a ccWebNum for Brazil, which uses the 55 country code.Users in Brazil may use either a ccWebNum or a standard WebNum to go toa Web site in Brazil, but a specific site in Brazil may advertise itsccWebNum instead of a standard WebNum.

Let's say a WebNum registrant in Brazil registers the ccWebNum 0272945(0BRAZIL), and points the ccWebNum to the Web site URL wap.xyz.br. Therecord in the WebNum Resolution database might be: ccRoot ccWebNum URL+55 0272945 wap.xyz.brA user in Brazil could access the site by simply entering 0272945. Usersoutside of Brazil, anywhere in the world, could use this ccWebNum. Aswith any WebNum, the user would have previously bookmarked the WebNumresolution database Web site on his or her WID. Once the WID was pointedto the WebNum Resolution site, the user could enter the following WebNumsequence:

+550272945

Note that in this embodiment a ccWebNum must be preceded by +55, eventhough those three leading digits are not registered as part of theccWebNum. The entire string would be sent from the WID to the WebNumResolution database, just like any other WebNum. The WebNum Resolutiondatabase would parse the string into its component pieces and resolvethe ccWebNum to a URL. The WebNum Resolution database would be able toidentify the number as a ccWebNum because the entire string starts withthe reserved “+” sequence. Alternatively, a single pound sign (#) orother character could be embedded in the string to indicate or terminatethe ccRoot, and/or indicate the start of the ccWebNum.

So, the WebNum Resolution database would parse the ccWebNum string intoits parts, which are:

+—ccWebNum indicator sequence

55—cc for Brazil country code WebNum space

0272945—ccWebNum within the 55 ccRoot space

The WebNum Resolution database would return to the WID gateway areferral to whatever Web site URL had been specified by the registrant.

Note that while ccWebNums are intended to be used for country-specificWeb sites, there is not necessarily any requirement that a ccWebNumpoint to a Web site in the country that corresponds to the ccRoot. Inthe example used above, the registrant of the ccWebNum 0272945 may pointit to wap.xyz.com, www.xyz.org, or to any other Web site URL. ccWebNumswill be perceived to imply that they point to nation- orlocation-specific Web sites, but they do not necessarily have to do so.

ccWebNums may also be registered by users in the United States, usingthe ITU country code “1” for the United States as the ccRoot, followedby a ccWebNum. For example, a registrant in the United States mayregister the ccWebNum 0999, and point it to any Web site URL, such aswww.xyz.com. To get to this site, a WID user outside of the US wouldenter the following string:

+10999.

The WebNum Resolution database would parse this sequence as:

+—ccWebNum indicator sequence

1—cc for United States country code WebNum space

-   -   0999—ccWebNum within the 1 ccRoot space        As in the previous examples, the WebNum Resolution database        would return to the WID gateway a referral to whatever Web site        URL had been specified by the registrant.        cc WebNums and Extended WebNums

The ccWebNum addressing space may be further extended by combiningccWebNums with Extended WebNums. This would allow registrants ofccWebNums to expand a basic ccWebNum into additional WebNums, by usingthe Extended WebNum concept described elsewhere in this document.

For example, take the Brazil ccWebNum in the first example, 0272945.Extended WebNums could be created under the +550272945 ccWebNum byadding a second separator, followed by the digits of one or moreExtended WebNums. As with standard Expanded WebNums, each ExpandedWebNum within a specific ccWebNum would also be resolved to a singleURL.

Say that the registrant of the ccWebNum 0272945 wanted to registerseveral other WebNums that each used 0272945 as the first part of theccWebNum, but each of which mapped to a different URL. In this case, thebasic ccWebNum, and the Extended WebNums created off that ccWebNum, aswell as their corresponding URL mappings, might be: 0272945http://wap.xyz.br 0272945#1 http://wap.xyz.br/sales 0272945#2http://www.xyz.com 0272945#3 http://www.def.comTo use any of these ccWebNums, a cell phone or WID user outside ofBrazil, would enter the ccWebNum, preceded by the +55 ccWebNum indicatorsequence, as:

+550272945#1

The WebNum Resolution database would parse the entire string as:

+—ccWebNum indicator sequence

55—cc for Brazil country code WebNum space

-   -   0272945—ccWebNum within the 55 ccRoot space

#—second terminating the “root” ccWebNum, and starting an ExtendedWebNum

1—Extended WebNum within the 55#272945 ccWebNum space

As with ccWebNums themselves, Extended WebNums within each ccWebNumspace would also represent different WebNums.

Power WebNum Shortcuts

The WebNum Resolution system can accommodate WebNum “power users”, whowill be able to enter a WebNum followed by another number that isvariable data that is to entered on the target Web site. The objectiveof the power user function, referred to as Power WebNum shortcuts, is toallow WebNum users to get to Web sites and retrieve data in one step,instead of responding to one or more successive data entry prompts.

For example, a user of a WID may want to go to the Web site for DeltaAirlines™, and inquire about the status of Flight 815. The normalsequence would be for the user to enter a WebNum for Delta Airlines™,which would return the home page for Delta's Web site. The Web sitecontent would have to have been formatted for the browser type andmarkup language used by the cell phone or WID, but that does not affectthe operation of the WebNum system. Assuming that the Delta Web sitepermitted the user to enter a flight number, the user could then enterthe flight number to determine the flight status. The flight statuswould be returned by the Delta Web site to the WID.

The WebNum power user function would let the user enter the WebNum andthe flight number in a single step, skipping the need to wait to beprompted for the flight number in a separate data entry screen. TheWebNum Resolution system would recognize the number entered as a WebNumfollowed by data, and return the URL and an extension containing thedata part as an argument to the cell phone or WID network gateway.

In this embodiment, Power WebNum shortcuts are not a separate class ofWebNum shortcuts. Instead, they are WebNum shortcuts with data appendedto them. Like other WebNum shortcuts, they are mapped to Internet URLs.Any type of WebNum, including Global Numeric Names, ccWebNum shortcuts,and Extended WebNum shortcuts, may be combined with data by a poweruser. However, as noted below, the URL must be able to make use of theappended data for the power user WebNum capability to work.

For example, using the air-line flight information example above, saythat Delta Airlines had registered the Global Numeric Name WebNum of33582 (DELTA). When it registered the WebNum , the airline mapped theWebNum to the URL of a Web site. In order to permit a power user toretrieve flight status for Flight 815 from the site, Delta would havemapped the WebNum to the URL of the site's flight information page. Themapping in the WebNum Resolution database might be:

33582=http:H/www.delta-air.com/servlist/wireless/flightinfo.cgi?flight=

A power user would be able to enter the WebNum and the flight number atthe same time, separating the two with a star (*) character as aseparator, as:

33582*815

The WebNum Resolution system would parse the string as:

33582—WebNum forwww.delta-air.com/servlist/wireless/flightinfo.cgi?flight=

*—separator between WebNum and data

815—data to be appended to URL and sent to WID gateway

The WebNum Resolution database application would append the data to theURL, and return it to the WID gateway as a referral to the Web site, as:

http://www.delta-air.com/servlist/wireless/flightinfo.cgi?flight=815

Assuming that this was the correct format for an inquiry on the Website, the Web site would return information on Flight 815 to the cellphone or WID display.

Assuming the URL mappings in the WebNum resolution database are correct,the system would work properly even if the user did not append variabledata to create a power WebNum. If the user entered only the WebNum,without following the WebNum with variable data, the URL would point tothe Web site, which would be returned to the cell phone or WID display.The user could then enter the flight number in a second step. Thisnumber would be returned to the Web site, not the WebNum Resolutiondatabase, to get information about the flight number

Note that Power WebNum shortcuts depend on the WebNum registrant havingspecified the URL for the WebNum correctly. In addition, changes insyntax or composition of the URL must be updated by the registrant onthe WebNum registration database.

Power WebNum shortcuts and Other Types of WebNum Shortcuts

The example above shows how Power WebNum shortcuts work with a standardGlobal Numeric Name WebNum shortcuts. However, Extended WebNum shortcutsand ccWebNum shortcuts will also work with power user functions. WebNumregistrants that expect users to use Power WebNum shortcuts may registereither several standard WebNum shortcuts or a number of Extended orccWebNum shortcuts, so that all of the registrant's WebNum shortcutshave the same numeric “root”.

For example, Delta Airlines could register 33582 as its Global NumericName, and point the URL to the home page of its Web site, which might bewww.delta-air.com. However, in order to accommodate both regular WebNumand Power WebNum users who want to retrieve different types ofinformation about Delta flights, the company may decide to register anumber of Extended WebNum shortcuts off that root WebNum for thatpurpose.

For example, the company could register the following Extended WebNumshortcuts, in addition to the root WebNum, and point them to differentURLs:

33582=http://www.delta-air.com

33582#1=http://www.delta-air.com/servlist/wireless/flightinfo.cgi?flight=(flightstatus)

33582#2=http://www.delta-air.com/servlist/wireless/gateinfo.cgi?flight=(flightarrival gate)

33582#3=http://www.delta-air.com/servlist/wireless/arrivalweather.cgi?flight=(arrivalcity weather)

33582#4=http://wap.delta-air.com/businessnews

In these examples, the Extended WebNum shortcuts 33582#1, 33582#2, and33582#3 point to URLs that require additional variable data (for thesake of simplicity in this example, in each case the variable data is aflight number). A user may enter the flight number when the page forthat URL is displayed. A power user could enter the WebNum and the datato get the status of Flight 815 in one action, as:

33582#1*815

The WebNum Resolution system would parse the character string as:

33582#1—Extended WebNum forwww.delta-air.com/servlist/wireless/flightinfo.cgi?flight=

*—separator between Extended WebNum and data

815—data to be appended to URL and sent to cell phone or WID

network gateway

Power user functions will also work with ccWebNums, which may beconsidered to be versions of Extended WebNums. For example, for use inthe United Kingdom (ITU country code 44), Delta could register the rootccWebNum 033582, as well as a number of Extended WebNums under thatccWebNum, and point them to different URLs, as:

033582=http://www.delta-air.com.uk

033582#1=http://www.delta-air.com.uk/servlist/wireless/flightinfo.cgi?flight=(flightstatus)

033582#2=http://www.delta-air.com.uk/servlist/wireless/gateinfo.cgi?flight=(flightarrival gate)

033582#3=http://www.delta-air.com.uk/servlist/wireless/arrivalweather.cgi?flight=(arrivalweather)

033582#4=http://wap.delta-air.com.ukibusinessnews

In these examples, as in the examples of Extended WebNums above,ccWebNums 033582#1, 033582#2, and 033582#3 point to URLs that require aflight number. A user may either enter the flight number when the WAPscreen for that URL is displayed, while a Power WebNum user outside ofthe UK, could enter the ccWebNum and the data to get the status ofFlight 815 in one action, as:

+44033582#1*815

Note that in this embodiment, because this is a ccWebNum, it is precededby +44. The WebNum Resolution system would parse the WebNum characterstring as:

+—ccWebNum indicator sequence

44—ccWebNum+for United Kingdom country code WebNum space

+

033582#1—Extended WebNum for www.deltaair.com.uk/servlist/wireless/flightinfo.cgi?flight=

*—separator between Extended WebNum and data

815—data to be appended to URL and sent to WID gateway

As has been discussed in the section of this document oh ccWebNums, theURLs referenced by ccWebNums do not necessarily have to point to Websites in the same country as the country code “root”. In the exampleabove, the URLs mapped to the 033582 Extended WebNums could have pointedto Web sites anywhere.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of this invention, WebNumshortcuts are designed to simplify and speed access from devices withlimited input capabilities, such as cell phones and other wirelessdevices that have numeric keypads and pen-based input, as well asspeech-to-text and speech recognition systems. While the primaryemphasis is on wireless and other devices with limited input functions,the function and benefits described are also available for otherweb-enabled devices such as fixed Internet devices, personal computers,etc . . .

As used in the appended claims, the term “controller” could beimplemented as a single computer or multiple computers, one or moremicroprocessors, one or more servers, one or more database controllers,or other like system.

Other modifications and variations to the invention will be apparent tothose skilled in the art from the foregoing disclosure and teachings.Thus, while only certain embodiments of the invention have beenspecifically described herein, it will be apparent that numerousmodifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit andscope of the invention.

1. A method for accessing an email address based on a request from awireless device, comprising: receiving a transmitted short-name from awireless device, said short-name comprising a code number representativeof a particular email address; searching a database for said short-name,said database being located at a location remote from said wirelessdevice; and if said short-name is found, retrieving said particularemail address and returning said email address to said wireless device.2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said searching returnsmultiple email addresses to said wireless device, said wireless devicedisplaying said multiple email addresses and allowing a user to choosefrom among said multiple email addresses.
 3. A system for accessing anemail address with a wireless device, comprising: a database storingrelationships between a short-name and an email address, said short-namecomprising a code number representative of a particular email address,said database being located at a location remote from said wirelessdevice; and a controller which receives a transmitted short-name fromsaid wireless device, said controller operable to search said databasefor said transmitted short-name, and if said short-name is found,retrieving said particular email address and sending said particularemail address to said wireless device.
 4. A system according to claim 3,wherein said searching returns multiple email addresses to said wirelessdevice, said wireless device displaying said multiple email addressesand allowing a user to choose from among said multiple email addresses.5. A method for accessing an email address from a web-enabled device,comprising: transmitting a short-name from said web-enabled device, saidshort-name comprising a code number representative of a particular emailaddress, said transmission causing a database to be searched for saidshort-name, said database being located at a location remote from saidwireless device; and receiving said particular email address at saidweb-enabled device.
 6. A method according to claim 5, wherein saidsearching returns multiple email addresses to said web-enabled device,said web-enabled device displaying said multiple email addresses andallowing a user to choose from among said multiple email addresses.